1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of exercise machines and more particularly to an ab-exerciser bench (for abdominal muscles or abs).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several muscle exercise machines are known in the art including machines for exercising and shaping up abs (abdominal muscles). For example, Stearns in U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,575 teaches several versions of machines that can accomplish this. Many exercise machines that are designed to exercise the abs use an arrangement where the user lies partially prone or supine with the feet extending between pairs of bars. The user then pulls or pushes an arm handle that works through a pivot mechanism to raise the legs or the body. The user in this case generally works against the weight of his or her body or legs. Some machines have external weights that are also raised in the process.
Many existing prior art machines do not allow adjustment of the arm pull angle, leg-in and leg-out adjustments and may not have counterweights to optionally make the exercise easier or smoother. Also, many prior art machines do not allow the user to work a bar with the chest only so that the exercise concentrates on the ab muscles.
It would be advantageous to have an ab-exerciser machine that it allows the top and bottom portions of the body to move together in a linked fashion along with the machine as opposed to separately one at a time without heavy external weights, and that allows adjustment of arm pull angle in several steps to increase or decrease difficulty of the exercise, allows an in-out adjustment for people of different heights (leg length) and has an optional counterweight to ease the exercise if necessary. It would also be advantageous to have an ab-exerciser machine that allows use of the chest as well as the hands so that the exercise can be concentrated on the ab muscles.